This game just doesn't hit for me. Now, don't mistake this as my saying it is a bad game. It is just that I have pretty lofty expectations for Zelda games since the original NES creations to "a link to the past" and "ocarina of time". This one just feels a lot like the same zelda games following the exact sequence as the predecessors, forest, death mountain, zora's domain, etc. I wanted something more, something new, something innovative. All it feels like i got was "ocarina of time" repackaged for use with the wiimote. I'd have to say this ranks near the bottom for me in the Zelda franchise, right alongside majora's mask. I'd like to hear from those who really dig this game. Prhaps, as I grow older my appreciation for Zelda games lessens?

I thought it was a pretty decent offering…
Personally, I couldn't be bothered with 3D Zelda games
I didn't really like the N64 games at the time but that was because I was "anti-3D" and never really gave them a chance. Twilight Princess was definitely better than Wind Waker.

This game just doesn't hit for me. Now, don't mistake this as my saying it is a bad game. It is just that I have pretty lofty expectations for Zelda games since the original NES creations to "a link to the past" and "ocarina of time". This one just feels a lot like the same zelda games following the exact sequence as the predecessors, forest, death mountain, zora's domain, etc. I wanted something more, something new, something innovative. All it feels like i got was "ocarina of time" repackaged for use with the wiimote. I'd have to say this ranks near the bottom for me in the Zelda franchise, right alongside majora's mask. I'd like to hear from those who really dig this game. Prhaps, as I grow older my appreciation for Zelda games lessens?

To address your last sentence, I'd certainly hope not. Since the days of the NES, Zelda's always been on the top of my list of video game favorites. And with the newer 3d releases, the games have really become epic stories in the medium of a video game. Like you, I put Twilight Princess in the same mold as Ocarina of Time. But in a good way. To some, Ocarina of Time completely changed the concept of "gaming." Never before had I played such a captivating game that drew me into the story as OoT did. I'm assuming that many people share this opinion. TP did the same thing, but took it up another notch. As I was in OoT, I was completely astounded by the beauty of the game. Not the best graphics in the world, but TP's use of color completely made up for it. And honestly, think about it. Twilight Princess was released the same day the Wii was. Nintendo basically worked from absolute zero to create this game. The entire control scheme was revolutionary, they worked on a brand new engine, and a brand new console, and still made what many people consider the best Zelda game of all time.

And to further address comparisons, isn't familiarity what makes the Zelda series so great? To see the same places evolve with each new adventure Link takes? To see how old items are used in new games? Hell, even to compare Link to every other Link in other games? After a while, you develop a fondness for Hyrule and its inhabitants...I'd personally be disappointed if certain features from past titles weren't included. In all, I guess it's a pointless rant. I loved Twilight Princess myself, but if you didn't, I'm certainly not going to bash you for it. TP just might not have been what you were expecting.

i was sooo excited for this game. i got it when i got my wii at launch, but i got stuck after a week or so of playing it off and on, and never really went back to it... now i feel like i'm lost when i try to fire it back up. the game just seems more tedious than its predecessors. if they'd released it a year and half earlier like they had originally planned, i probably would have played it through a few times on the cube.

the last one to be released though, the ds offering, is the mutt's nuts. tracing your path you want the boomerang to fly ftw! (amongst other intuitive gameplay)

To address your last sentence, I'd certainly hope not. Since the days of the NES, Zelda's always been on the top of my list of video game favorites. And with the newer 3d releases, the games have really become epic stories in the medium of a video game. Like you, I put Twilight Princess in the same mold as Ocarina of Time. But in a good way. To some, Ocarina of Time completely changed the concept of "gaming." Never before had I played such a captivating game that drew me into the story as OoT did. I'm assuming that many people share this opinion. TP did the same thing, but took it up another notch. As I was in OoT, I was completely astounded by the beauty of the game. Not the best graphics in the world, but TP's use of color completely made up for it. And honestly, think about it. Twilight Princess was released the same day the Wii was. Nintendo basically worked from absolute zero to create this game. The entire control scheme was revolutionary, they worked on a brand new engine, and a brand new console, and still made what many people consider the best Zelda game of all time.
\And to further address comparisons, isn't familiarity what makes the Zelda series so great? To see the same places evolve with each new adventure Link takes? To see how old items are used in new games? Hell, even to compare Link to every other Link in other games? After a while, you develop a fondness for Hyrule and its inhabitants...I'd personally be disappointed if certain features from past titles weren't included. In all, I guess it's a pointless rant. I loved Twilight Princess myself, but if you didn't, I'm certainly not going to bash you for it. TP just might not have been what you were expecting.

I understand what you're saying, and I agree with it for the most part. The wolf transformations didn't do much in the way of satisfying my appetite for new content though. Also, I agree with your sentiments of continuity. I don't want them to scrap the land of hyrule, death mountain, zora's kingdom, et al, it's just that I want something more. For instance, the hookshot in OoT added some depth to that game for me since the playable environment became more involved for its time. That's just one example off the top of my head. It isn't a bad game, but it just doesn't bring me the satisfaction that link to the past, and ocarina of time did. This game, in particular, was a driving force in my decision to purchase a wii, so I expected a lot. It didn't fall completely flat, but it didn't captivate me either. I don't know how to convey my feelings for this game very well.

ps I finally got around to picking up that mk for the DS you recommended. Jumping directionally is pretty difficult for me. The game would be fun, but my skills have deteriorated to the point where even the cpu challenges have a steep learning curve.

My problem with this game is that the best thing about Zelda games was discovering the new villages and places on the map. In Twilight Princess, you're discovering them the first time as a wolf and the villages are EMPTY. Sure, you get to the villages later as Link and as a real person, but the experience was ruined already.

ps I finally got around to picking up that mk for the DS you recommended. Jumping directionally is pretty difficult for me. The game would be fun, but my skills have deteriorated to the point where even the cpu challenges have a steep learning curve.

The CPU in that game is insane. If they don't want you to hit your opponent, you're not going to. It's the arcade version, and of course they wanted you to keep pouring quarters into the machine, so the CPU kicks your ass all over the place. Especially if you get Jade further up on the pillar. I usually just say f*ck it at that point and start over. It's cheap, frustrating, and I only use it to try new combos to use in the online mode. Hone your skills, then try your luck online. I'll PM you my friend code once I find my DS and we'll have a few matches.